Edit Plant: Tetrapanax papyrifer

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'''''Tetrapanax papyriferus''''' ('''Tung-tsau''' or '''Rice-paper Plant''') is an [[evergreen]] [[shrub]] in the [[Family (biology)|family]] [[Araliaceae]], the sole [[species]] in the [[genus]] '''''Tetrapanax'''''. Its [[botanical name]] is unusual in that its [[specific epithet]] varies from one source to another, sometimes being rendered as "papyriferum" or "papyrifer". It is [[endemic (ecology)|endemic]] to [[Taiwan]], but widely [[cultivated]] in [[East Asia]] and sometimes in other [[tropical]] regions as well.* <ref> George W. Staples and Derral R. Herbst. 2005. "A Tropical Garden Flora". Bishop Museum Press: Honolulu, HI, USA. </ref> The [[pith]] from the stem is used to make a substance commonly known as [[rice paper]], but more properly termed [[pith paper]]. It grows to 3-7 m tall, with usually unbranched stems 2 cm diameter bearing a rosette of large [[leaf|leaves]] at the top (superficially similar to a [[Arecaceae|palm]] crown). The leaves are carried on 40-60 cm petioles, the leaf blade orbicular, 30-50 cm across, deeply palmately lobed with 5-11 primary lobes, the central lobes larger and Y-forked near the end. It spreads extensively by sprouts from the [[root]] system underground. The [[inflorescence]] is a large [[panicle]] of hemispherical to globular [[umbel]]s near the end of the stem. The [[flowers]] have 4 or 5 small white petals. The [[fruit]] is a small [[drupe]]. {{Inc| Tetrapanax (four and panax, referring to the four-merous flower structure). Araliaceae. By Bentham & Hooker (Genera Plantarum) this genus is included in Fatsia, and is so treated in Vol. III, page 1204. By others, however, it is kept distinct, and the plant known as Fatsia papyrifera then becomes T. papyriferum, Koch, the only species. The reader may take his choice whether to name the plant in one genus or the other; the preference probably lies with placing it in Tetrapanax. This genus, if accepted, differs from Fatsia in its four-merous rather than mostly five-merous flowers, with two-merous ovary, the tomentose-lanate character, and other features. T. papyriferum is an excellent subtropical subject. Fatsia japonica, Decne. & Planch., remains in that genus, as treated on page 1204. {{SCH}} }} {{Inc| Fatsia papyrifera, Benth. & Hook. (Aralia papyrifera, Hook. Tetrapanax papyriferum, Koch.). Height 5-7ft. (according to Franceschi, 20 ft. in the open ground in S. Calif.): branches and young lvs. covered with stellate, more or less deciduous down: mature lvs. reaching 1 ft. long, cordate, 5-7-lobed; lobes acute, serrate; sinus very deep :fls. inconspicuous,white, in sessile,globose clusters. {{SCH}} }} ==Cultivation== {{edit-cult}}<!--- Type cultivation info below this line, then delete this entire line --> ===Propagation=== {{edit-prop}}<!--- Type propagation info below this line, then delete this entire line --> ===Pests and diseases=== {{edit-pests}}<!--- Type pest/disease info below this line, then delete this entire line --> ==Species== <!-- This section should be renamed Cultivars if it appears on a page for a species (rather than genus), or perhaps Varieties if there is a mix of cultivars, species, hybrids, etc --> ==Gallery== {{photo-sources}}<!-- remove this line if there are already 3 or more photos in the gallery --> <gallery> Image:Upload.png| photo 1 Image:Upload.png| photo 2 Image:Upload.png| photo 3 </gallery> ==References== *[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963 <!--- xxxxx *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381 --> <!--- xxxxx *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432 --> <!--- xxxxx *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608 --> ==External links== *{{wplink}} {{stub}} __NOTOC__

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